• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.22 no.6
• /
• pp.685-690
• /
• 2011

In this study, a solvothermal reaction to prepare nanocrystalline titania was carried out using $TiCl_4$ and mixed solvents of alcohol and water. The effects of the type and the composition of alcohol on the crystal structure and agglomeration of final $TiO_2$ products were investigated. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In the solvothermal reaction using the n-butanol solutions with different volume ratios of n-butanol/water (100/0, 75/25, 50/50, 25/75, 0/100), the extent of agglomeration of obtained rutile $TiO_2$ was found to change with the volume ratio of n-butanol/water, and the n-butanol/water ratio of 75/25 revealed the best result for the preparation of well-dispersed nanocrystalline $TiO_2$ powders. The crystal phase of $TiO_2$ prepared through the solvothermal reaction changed with the type of alcohol in solvent (alcohol/water = 75/25). $TiO_2$ products obtained with the aqueous solutions of methanol, ethanol and isopropanol have an anatase phase, while that with n-butanol has a rutile phase. The results showed that, in the solvothermal reaction using both $TiCl_4$ as a starting material and the alcohol-water mixed solvents without any other additive, the enhancement of dispersion and control of crystal structure of $TiO_2$ products can be feasible by simply varying the composition and type of alcohol in the mixed solvents.